Mechanical toy



No. 753,051. -PATENTBD FEB. 23, 1904.

L. DRESGHER.

MECHANICAL TOY. APPLIOATION FILED MAY 12, 1902'.

H0 MODEL.

' UNITED STATES Patented February 23, 1904, I

PATENT -OFFICE,

f LUIS DRESCHEB, or NEwARK'NEw JERSEY.

MECUHANIIGAL TOY..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNO. 7 53,051, dated February 23, 1904;

I Application filed Hay 12, 1902. Serial No. 106,974. (No model.)

useful Improvements in Mechanical Toys, of

which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,

forming a part hereof. V 'Theobject of this invention is to produce an improved spinner for tops and other spinning.

toys, and particularly to produce aidevice of this character which can be easily manipulated, can be operated with certainty, and shall discharge the top or other spinning toy at any desired point and in any desired direction without imparting to the top any bodily movement in a lateral direction. As a result of the action of the improved spinner the top is made to spin with great steadiness and for a very long time, and if the shaft of thetop is permanently magnetized the top can be made use of in many interesting experiments, as hereinafter suggested.

The invention will be more fully described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which it is illustrated as embodied in a convenient and practical form.

In the drawings, Figure I presents front and edge views of the frame. Fig. II is a front view of the actuator. Fig. III is a detail front view of one of the wings. Fig. IV presents plan and side views of a form of top or spinning toy which can be used to advantage with the improved spinner. Fig. V presents front and edge views of a complete spinning device with the parts in their initial position, the top being also shown in position. Fig. VI is a front view of the spinner with the parts in the positions assumed at the end of their movement, the top being represented as released from the spinner.

The spinner comprises in the form of the device represented in the drawings a frame a, an actuator b, and swinging contact pieces or wings l6 and 17.

The frame a- (shown in detail in Fig. I) is preferably formed of sheet metal bent in a substantially U shape, having in the end of each member a longitudinal slit 1 and at the top of the loop or bend a trans-verse slit 4.,

.whilejthe two members are spaced apart and held rigidly by spacing pins orrivets 2 and 3. Theactuator b'islikewise preferably formed of sheet metal, having at its upper end a narrow part '5, which has a free traveling fit in theslit 4 of the frame (0 and terminates at jshoulders 6, which serve to limit the upward movement of the actuator in the frame. The

middle part 7 of the actuator fits freely between the pins 2 and 3 of the frame a, the actuator being guided in its longitudinal movement in the frame by the pins 2 and 3 and the walls of the slit The actuator is perforated centrally, as at 8, and in the lower end thereof is formed a longitudinal slit 9. The upper end of the actuator may be provided with a thumb-nut K, which is detachable in order to permit the partsto be assembled. The wings l6 and 17 are identical in shape, although reversed in position when the parts are assembled, and a description of one will suffice for both. Each wing is preferably formed substantially as shown in Fig. III, having a perforated head l2 with a slit 13 at one side thereof, a shank 14:, and a contact edge 11,

which is concentric with the perforations in below between the pins 2 and 3, and the thumb-nut K is applied to the upper end thereof to furnish a convenient bearing for the thumb of the operator and also to limit the downward movement of the actuator. The wings 1 6 and 17 are then applied to opposite sides of the actuator b with the perforations of the heads in line with the perforation 8 of the actuator, washers 21 and 22 are applied outside of the wings, and a pin 18 is inserted through the washers, wings, and actuator and has its ends upset to hold the parts together,while permitting free movementof the wings about the pin as an axis. The slits 13 of the two wings are caused to engage the pins 2 and 30f the frame, the thumb-nut K being loosened or removed to permit the actuator to be moved downward far enough to allow the slits to be thus engaged. The subsequent application or tightening of the thumb-nut prevents the disengagement of the slit 13 from these pins thereafter. When the parts have been assembled as thus described, the device is ready for use, and the parts being in the position shown in the front View in Fig. V the spindle of the top is introduced into the slit 9 between the opposing edges of the wings 16 and 17 where it is held by the pressure of the wings. The device being now held by applying the thumb and middle finger to the ends of the looped part of the frame a, the index-finger is applied to the thumb-nut K and the actuator is pressed downward with a gradually-increasing motion, ending in a snap. This movement of the actuator throws the pivot of the wings downward and through the engagement of the slits 13 with the pins 2 and 3 causes the bearing edges of the wings to move past the lower end of the actuator inopposite directions, thus rotating the spindle of the top, which is held between them. When the actuator reaches the limit of its down ward movement, the ends of the wings clear the slit 9 and simultaneously pass from contact with the spindle 10, thus leaving it free but rotating rapidly. When the parts of the spinner are to be restored to their initial position, the lower end of the actuator is applied to a hard surface and the frame is pressed toward the same, thus moving the actuator and the wings back to their initial position.

It will be found that the top when released from the spinner rotates with great steadiness and therefore will continue to rotate upon a suitable surface for a long time. As indicated above, if the spindle of the top is permanently magnetized soft-iron wires bent in various shapes when laid upon a smooth surface in contact with the rapidly-rotating magnetized spindle of the top will be caused to have curious and interesting movements to and fro as the wire passes from one side of the spindle to the other at each end of its movement.

It will be obvious that the construction and arrangement of the spinner may be varied more or less without departing from the spirit of the invention, which is not limited to the precise construction and arrangement shown. It will also be obvious that the spinner may be used for producing the rotation of various forms of spinning toys.

I claim as my invention 1. A spinner for tops and other spinning toys, comprising a frame, opposing wings operatively mounted in the frame and adapted to engage a spindle interposed between them, and means for swinging said wings in opposite directions to impart rapid rotary motion to the spindle, substantially as described.

2. A spinner for tops and other spinning toys, comprising a frame, an actuator sliding in the frame, and opposing wings pivoted on the actuator and oppositely engaged with the frame, said wings being adapted to engage and rotate a spindle interposed between them, substantially as described.

3. A spinner for tops and other spinning toys, comprising a frame, an actuator sliding in the frame and having a longitudinal slit in its end, and wings pivoted on the actuator and oppositely engaged with the frame, said I wings being adapted to engage a spindle interposed between them in the slit in the actuator, substantially as described.

LUIS DRESCHER.

Witnesses:

LAURENCE T. TURNER, SAMUEL ENGEL. 

